Introduction & Background

While once the validity of science of climate change may
have been up for debate, it has become clear that climate change and its
effects on the physical landscape of the world are very real and very serious. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, the world’s surface air temperature has increased by 1.1˚ farenheit
over the past 100 years; the result of such a temperature increase has been
multi-fold. The effects of global warming encompass rising sea levels, melting arctic ice and glaciers, rising ocean temperatures, the increase in frequency and intensity of rainfall and severe weather events, including typhoons, hurricanes, floods and heat waves. The impact of climate change on the physical
landscape is real and discernable. What
is not so clear is how climate change and its resulting effects on the earth relate
to human rights; this webguide is an attempt to point an interested researcher
to primary and secondary sources, and international organizations that are
currently implicated in or undertaking research on the relationship between
climate change and human rights.

Under the “Primary Sources” tab, a researcher will find key
international treaties, declarations and resolutions, cases and statements that
relate either to climate change, human rights or climate change and human
rights. The resources included under the
“Secondary Sources” tab encompass books and legal periodical literature in
addition to reports from international organizations that focus entirely on the
relationship between climate change and human rights. The “International Organizations” tab leads
to both United Nations bodies and non-United Nations organizations pertaining to
climate change, human rights, and human development. Also included in the webguide are a section
of videos relevant to the topic of climate change and human rights, as well as
a Google search bar that lists the most relevant search results for “’climate
change’ and ‘human rights.’” At all times, an attempt has been made to point
the researcher to the most useful sources, as well as to provide links to either
full-text versions of the sources or a website that leads to the full-text
source. Additionally, Bluebook citations have been included when appropriate, but, as with citations from any source, should be double-checked before use.

After a close examination of the materials on this webguide,
a researcher should be able to understand the key effects of climate change, to
be familiar with the relevant U.N. treaties, resolutions and declarations
relating to climate change and human rights, to identify the major
organizations focusing on climate change and human rights, to understand the
often-legally protected international rights that are being implicated by
climate change, and, finally, to realize the challenge for the world that lays
ahead—not only in combating climate change though adaptation and mitigation
measures, but also, perhaps more importantly, in ensuring that human beings and
their rights are protected from the harmful effects of climate change. As the United Development Programme stresses,
climate change is “a human tragedy in the making,” and “allowing that tragedy
to evolve…would represent a systematic violation of the human rights of the
world’s poor and future generations and a step back from universal values.”
(UNDP 2007/2008 Human Development Report.)

Using This Guide

In order to best use this guide, it is suggested that a researcher first visit the main section of each heading tab before visting any pull-down sections, as the main tab is where information about the layout of the section, research tips, RSS feeds, etc. is located.

For example, please first visit "Primary Sources" before the pull-down "InternationalTreaties" tab.